IRacing Motorsport Terms: P Terms
P Terms: ;# Paddock : An enclosure at a track used by team support personnel and vehicles, and other officials and VIPs. ; 2. Parade lap : A lap before a motorsport race begins where the drivers go around the track at a slow speed, also known as a formation lap. ; 3. Parc fermé or Impound : An area which cars enter after they have qualified for the race, where they are not allowed to be worked upon by mechanics unless on strict supervision by the stewards. Some motorsports series other than Formula One refer to this as the Impound. ; 4. Pay driver : A driver who pays for his race seat rather than receiving a salary from the team. Generally has a negative connotation. ; 5. Photo finish : A finish in which two or more cars are so close that in times past a photograph of the finishers crossing the finish line would need to be studied to determine the finishing order. While the practice has been mostly superseded by modern electronic timing systems, the location of the transponder in a vehicle is not located near the nose of the vehicle, so stewards often use video replays to detect where the nose (of a car) or wheel (of a motorcycle) crosses the finish line first. ; 6. Pit board : A board that is held up from the pit wall to the side of the finishing straight when a driver goes past, to confirm their position in the race and the number of laps remaining. Before the introduction of radio communication, also used to instruct drivers to pit for fuel and/or tires, or to comply with rules violations. ; 7. Pit lane : A lane, adjacent to the race track, where the garages are located. ; 8. Pit stop : Stopping in the pit lane for repairs, refuelling, and/or new tires. ; 9. Pit wall : Where the team owners and managers sit to observe the race, opposite the garages in the pit lane. ; 10. Pole position : The first grid position, placed closest to the starting line (in Formula One), nearest the inside of the first turn, or both. Usually reserved for the competitor who has recorded the fastest lap during qualifying. A competitor who starts a race there is said to be on the pole. ; 11. Polish Victory Lap : Was started by Alan Kulwicki which is a reverse victory lap. ; 12. Pre-qualifying : A preliminary qualifying session held prior to a regular qualifying session in order to reduce the number of competitors taking part in the regular session, usually for safety reasons. An example of pre-qualifying is in Formula One in the late 1980s and early 1990s. ; 13. Privateer : A competitor not directly supported by a sponsor or manufacturer. To be privately funded. ; 14. Progressive grid : Where a category races multiple times at a meeting, the starting order for the grid is decided by the finishing order of the previous race. ; 15. Prototype : An endurance sports racing car that does not noticeably look like a standard production model. ; 16. Pulling an Eckman : A term in drag racing, particularly in Pro Stock, when a driver is cited, and fined for racing with a nitrous oxide system; driver Jerry Eckman was the first driver in the NHRA to be indefinitely suspended for such an infraction; he was reinstated after two years. ; 17. Push to pass : System in which engine power is increased for short periods to create a short burst of extra speed. This can be done by increasing the boost pressure in a turbocharged car, increasing the maximum rpm, or using a separate system to provide power. ; 18. Put on the trailer : When a driver has either lost (got "put on the trailer") or won (put the other driver on the trailer). Named because losing drivers pull their vehicle home on a trailer. Category:IRacing Motorsport Terms: P Terms